After signing an open letter denouncing Israel's military operation in Gaza, Penelope Cruz has clarified her position on the hostilities in the region.

"I don't want to be misunderstood on this important subject. I'm not an expert on the situation and I'm aware of the complexity of it," the actress said in a statement via her representative. "My only wish and intention in signing that group letter is the hope that there will be peace in both Israel and Gaza. I am hopeful all parties can agree to a cease fire and there are no more innocent victims on either side of the border. I wish for unity, and peace.... I believe in a civilization that can be capable of bringing the courage to have a world where humans can live side by side."

The open letter that's referenced, titled "Comunicado de la Cultura Contra el Genocidio Palestino," circulated among Spanish media outlets this week. It deemed Israel's actions a "genocide" and urged the European Union to "condemn the bombing by land, sea and air against the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip."

"The signatories of this statement, from the world of culture, declare their outrage over the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli occupation army in the Gaza Strip against Palestinian civilians," read the opening lines of the letter (as translated by Google Translate). Other entertainment industry members, including Javier Bardem and Pedro Almodovar, also signed the letter.